Grumman XF5F Skyrocket
The Grumman XF5F Skyrocket was a prototype of a twin-engine shipboard fighter interceptor to which Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation applied the model number G-34. It was a radical advance in shipboard fighters at the time when single engine fighters were just changing to monoplane designs from bi-planes. The U.S. Navy ordered one prototype airplane on June 30, 1938 with the designation XF5F-1.
The aircraft possessed a unique appearance in that the forward part of the fuselage didn’t extend forward of the wing. Provisions were included in the prototype for two 23 mm Madsen cannons.
The aircraft flew for the first time on April 1, 1940. Engine cooling problems arose in the initial flights, resulting in modification to the oil cooling ducts. Further modifications were made to the prototype including reduction in the height of the cockpit canopy, revising the armament installation to four 0.5 inch machine guns in place of the cannon, redesign of the engine nacelles, adding spinners to the propellers, and extending the fuselage forward of the wing. These changes were completed on July 15, 1941. Additional changes were needed after further flight tests that were not completed until January 15, 1942. In the meantime Grumman began work on a more advanced twin-engine shipboard fighter, the XF7F-1, and further testing with the XF5F-1 supported the development of the newer design. The prototype continued to be used in various tests, although plagued by various landing gear problems, until it was struck from the list of active aircraft after it made a belly landing on December 11, 1944.
Specifications (XF5F Skyrocket)
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
Performance
Armament
- Four 0.5 in (12.7 mm) machine guns
- Two 165 lb (75 kg) bombs
References
- Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War - Fighters, Vol 4. London, UK: MacDonald, 1961. ISBN 0-356-01448-7.
- Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon. WW2 Aircraft Fact Files: US Navy and Marine Corps Fighters. London, UK: Macdonald and Jane's, 1976. ISBN 0-356-08222-9.
- Lucabaugh, David and Martin, Bob. Grumman XF5F-1 & XP-50 Skyrocket, Naval fighters number thirty-one. Simi Valley, CA: Ginter Books, 1995. ISBN 0-942612-31-0.
- Morgan, Eric B. "Grumman F7F Tigercat F.7/30". Twentyfirst Profile, Volume 1, No. 11. New Milton, Hants, UK: 21th Profile Ltd. ISBN 0-961-82100-4.
- Morgan, Eric B. "The Grumman Twins". Twentyfirst Profile, Volume 2, No. 15. New Milton, Hants, UK: 21th Profile Ltd. ISBN 0-961-82101-1.
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